Among the best methods to find out about worldwide delicacies is realizing somebody from one other nation. Simply let her or him decide the place, order their favourite dishes, and presumably even converse with the workers of their native language. In the case of Korean meals, tradition, and purchasing, Sarah Park could be that somebody.
Photograph credit score: Sucheta Rawal
Park is a first-generation South Korean immigrant who moved to Georgia when she was 12 years previous. She grew up studying about each Southern and Korean tradition, and was at all times keen about her neighborhood.
She hosts a phase on Atlanta Radio Korean and serves on numerous advisory committees together with the Korean Meals World Affiliation Southeast and the Atlanta Worldwide Night time Market. About 10 years in the past, she helped Discover Gwinnett, the county’s official vacation spot advertising group, on a brand new advertising marketing campaign to lift consciousness of the Korean eating places and companies within the space. Right now, she consults them and leads Seoul of The South Meals Excursions every Could by way of September. The excursions accommodates as much as 25 folks, and price $69 an individual, however is bought out nearly a yr upfront.
The tour begins on the Discover Gwinnett workplace in Duluth, the place you board a trolley with Park. She started by telling us that Gwinnett County is house to the biggest inhabitants of South Koreans within the state and identified Korean eating places, bakeries, picture cubicles, grocery shops, bookstores, spas, and karaoke spots alongside the route.
Photograph credit score: Sucheta Rawal
Our first meals cease was Jang Su Jang (that means reside lengthy) a family-style conventional Korean restaurant with wood interiors and cubicles. Jenny, our waitress, who has been on the restaurant because it first opened 20 years in the past, provided us boricha (scorching barley tea). Park ordered for the group, altering menus for dietary restrictions, and inside minutes, dozens of small bowls lined your complete desk. In Korean delicacies, meals are family-style and never coursed out. The aspect dishes, typically fermented greens, together with three sorts of do-it-yourself kimchi – cucumber, radish, and cabbage, are complimentary. Alongside bowls of rice, sundubu (tofu) soup, japchae (noodles with greens), seafood pancakes, and bibimbap (combined rice bowl), we altered every chew between mains and veggies.
Photograph credit score: Sucheta Rawal
Subsequent at a vigorous Korean BBQ restaurant – Honey Pig, we grilled tableside. The chef there makes use of scissors to shred heaps of kimchi. You received’t discover knives at conventional Korean eating places, however the waitstaff can be joyful handy you scissors if it’s essential to slice, rip or minimize. The menu contains shrimp, rooster, beef and pork, alongside bean sprouts, rice paper, soup, rice and extra. We picked the prepared protein with chopsticks and dipped it in salt and ssamjang (spicy sauce).
Subsequent we headed to Yogi, the place we had been served rooster, grilled beef, loaded fried shrimp toast, and candy Korean iced espresso. The husband-and-wife workforce there has opened different meals ideas round city, and their newest is the Korean consolation meals spot the place you will get contemporary, hearty and reasonably priced meals inside minutes.
Photograph credit score: Sucheta Rawal
Through the tour, Park informed us that in Seoul, she and her brother made a touch to the snack store after faculty day-after-day to eat fried meals that they weren’t allowed to have at house.
On the subsequent cease, Tree Story Bakery & Café in Duluth, our mouths watered simply wanting on the colourful candy potato mousse, chestnut manju (cookies) and pink bean bread. Park prompt we attempt bingsu – a humungous bowl of milk-based shaved ice topped with fruits, pink beans and ice cream. It’s refreshing on a heat day however a meal in itself!
Photograph credit score: Sucheta Rawal
Park was joyful to take company subsequent door on a stroll by way of H Mart, one of many largest Asian grocery shops in Georgia, mentioning her favourite prompt Ramen, sauces, and different provides.
Too full to maneuver after all of the meals I had sampled, I spent the following a number of hours sweating out the energy on the Korean day spa – Spa Land & Sauna.
The Seoul of the South Meals Tour is a component feeding-frenzy, part-education. Anticipate to be taught Korean eating etiquette. For instance, you at all times pour a drink for one another, and never for your self. And it’s rude to carry a bowl off the desk and produce it near your mouth. We additionally realized that chopsticks pointing straight up in rice means there’s a funeral. And the eldest on the desk respectfully takes the primary chew earlier than everybody else eats.